Wolds Walking Festival

This weekend was the Wolds Walking Festival, and I was involved in at least one event on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  On Saturday 5 individuals turned up in beautiful warm and sunny weather: one couple from Helmsley, another from Beverley, and one local inhabitant of Thixendale.  We walked down the hill from Robert Fuller's Gallery, but were unable to find the Tawny Owls, which usually inhabit these sycamores.  In fact any sort of birdlife was noticeable by its absence.  I had to fill in by talking about our local Swallow behaviour, plus the latest news of what was happening on the birdfront at Spurn, Blacktoft and other East Yorkshire sites. Needless to say there was no sign of the local Little Owls either.  The only birds seen at this stage were Woodpigeons flying over.  However, flying closer to us was a Migrant Hawker Dragonfly, which did give good views as it hunted for insects along the hedgerow, and almost seemed as large as a Goldcrest!  We were a long way from any appreciable water, but these can be long distance fliers.  

Barnacle Goose

 Red Kite being mobbed

 At the bottom of the hill we took a right turn on to the Wolds Way.  A tilled field was covered with Red-legged Partridges - possibly as many as 10.  The Yellowhammers, and Meadow Pipits which had been so vociferous in the Spring and Summer had all gone quiet, and it wasn't until we went through the second gate that things picked up.    We were watching a hovering Kestrel as it hunted for voles in the long grass in the steep slopes of the dale.  It plunged into the verdure several times, but when it rose again, there was nothing in its talons.  As we observed this young bird, I could hear the high-pitched telltale sounds of a Treecreeper in the mature Ash trees behind us.  We swung round and everyone was able to spot the bird as it inched its way up the main trunk of the tree, before it spiralled round to the back of the trees, and it was lost to sight.  

Cream-Crown Marsh Harrier

 Migrant Hawker

 Bracket Fungus

 Stoat

 Stoat

We hadn't gone much further when there was a strange sound above us.  At first the only birds I could see were a couple of gulls flying north, but then I spotted a bird of prey.  A Buzzard seemed to be the most likely candidate in this habitat, but through the binoculars it was uniformly dark brown despite the tattiness of many of its feathers.  It was a Marsh Harrier.  Later, we heard that the gulls and the Harrier had been in a brief skirmish, which was the origin of the unusual sound.  We carried on to the sight of a baffling turf sculpture, which apparently looks much better and explicable from the top of the hills.  While the turf sculpture was being explained to us by the local inhabitant a bright orange Comma butterfly flew south.  Fairly soon after this a genuine Buzzard came into view - its mixture of dark wing edges and central white patches were in marked contrast to the earlier bird.  On the return journey we could hear Swallows twittering and House Martins "farting", but our best birds had definitely been on the  Wolds Way.  We passed BBC Look North's Simon Clark and  friend making the most of the nice weather by walking part of the Wolds Way.  The Cirrus clouds looked fine against the blue sky, but they didn't bode well for the weather on Sunday...

5 individuals again turned up for the Sunday Wolds Red Kite Roost event.  Unfortunately my sat nav led the attendees from Robert Fuller's Gallery on a circuitous, but picturesque route seemingly all over the wolds.  However, we did eventually arrive at the viewpoint.  At first it seemed very few birds were present apart from some very noisy female Mallards opposite our site.  However, a Heron flew through, which was a sign of better things to come.  Unfortunately, it was spitting with rain, so I didn't expect too many birds of prey.  It wasn't too long before our first Red Kite appeared to the right of the site, spotted by a Pocklington couple.  It flew over the woodland and disappeared to the left and below a very distinctive tree.  We then enjoyed sightings of several lone birds, sometimes they appeared distantly over the brow of the wooded hillside.  On other occasions they began to emerge in the far distance in the north, but always making for the same general area.  At least 2 birds showed interest in a green field, which may have hosted some carrion, but the roost site seemed to be the favoured area with all the other birds.  

Another Heron made its distinctive slowly flapping flight over the  woodland - seemingly with a wingspan only marginally greater than some of the Red Kites we had been watching.   Unfortunately, the lowering clouds began to look ever more threatening.  At one time 4 birds could be discerned in the northern distance through what looked like mist, but this was the first sign of a more significant shower of rain moving in.  We decided to call it a day, but we had seen over 10 Red Kites flying into the woodland.

On Monday we revisited Friday's location in worse light, so there were fewer photo opportunities.  North Cave Wetlands seems to be a fairly well-known site locally, so it was an unusual experience to introduce the venue for 5 people (100% of the attendees) who were trying it out as part of the Wolds Walking Festival.  The birds and dragonflies we saw today were very similar to those last week.    A mammal highlight were 2 Stoats - one running towards us, and another running away.  The Barnacle Goose showed really well, but seemed a very isolated individual, and was virtually the last bird we saw, so brought the session to a fitting end.  Please see Friday's photos here: Friday

FLAMING June!

The weather forecast for Thurs morning was appalling, so that session was cancelled.  However, the afternoon seemed as though it would be brighter, and as a Thurs pm session had already been cancelled earlier in the term the afternoon went ahead at a location with hides - North Cave Wetlands.  Friday also looked very unsettled, so those sessions were also transferred to the same location.

Wasp-Beetle

We normally walk round this reserve in a clockwise direction to make the most of having the light behind us, so we were able to risk this on the Thurs pm, but with the even more unsettled weather on Friday we decided to go anti-clockwise and move between the hides.  The lowering clouds had forced the Swifts and the hirundines down after their prey, so there were plenty of these to see right from the beginning.  2 Reed Warblers could be heard singing briefly from the edge of Carp Lake, but they couldn’t be seen.  

On Thursday before the rain came down I found an interesting beetle resting on some Bramble leaves.  This has obviously evolved to resemble a wasp, and to deter possible predators with its warning colouration.  Unfortunately, the bright start to the afternoon was a chimera, and we were some engulfed in a heavy downpour.  

Wasp-Beetle (c) 2012 Margaret Richardson

Little Grebe with chick

 Shelduck with Well-grown Young

We eventually reached Turret Hide, where we could dry off for a time, but still watch some of the wildlife from indoors.    The most interesting sightings here were a family of Reed warblers being fed against an electric fence, whilst beyond these a pair of Little Grebe chicks were begging for food.  A group of 20 Gadwall were gathered in another bay, slowing going into eclipse plumage together.   There were some fairly small Shelduck chicks directly under the hide on the northern side, but also a much older family was on one of the islands.  

Reed Warbler

 Lapwing

All groups saw the largest gathering of Common Terns we’ve encountered this year from South Hide.  One pair had at least 2 chicks, but the other birds seemed to be on eggs.  They’ve probably arrived after most of the Black-headed gulls have already raised their chicks & vacated the raft.  

Common Terns (& Black-headed Gull)

 Mallard Duckling

 ditto

 Female Mallard's Speculum

On Friday morning we risked the long walk round & we marvelled at Reedbed Lake when a Peregrine Falcon attacked the Feral Pigeons.  It stooped out of the sky and effortlessly caught a very dark pigeon, which it proceeded to cart away.  Most of the birds on the lake took to the sky and the clamour was fantastic, and after a minute or so the Peregrine relinquished its prey, which may have been largely unharmed.  The Peregrine flew off north & was lost to sight.  Shortly afterwards a heavy shower set in, but everyone agreed that the soaking was worth it, to get such a close view of a Peregrine in action.  

Most groups saw the confiding family of 13 ducklings and their mother back at the Wild Bird food wagon.

New Reserve Gets Nod of Approval

Today we were able to visit a brand new nature reserve, and the morning group encountered 45 species.  The sighting highlight was a Kingfisher, probably only seen by 2 (incl the tutor); whilst the best bird heard was a Grasshopper Warbler – again only heard by 2 (incl the tutor & a different participant).  In the afternoon the Kingfisher was almost in the same place, and was seen by all but one participant.

In the morning I made the mistake of walking round the edge of the reserve, and although this yielded Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler, it would have been better to have plunged straight into the bushes by the way-marked paths.  In the afternoon we tried this method, but by that time the small passerine birds had largely vanished.  The strong winds prevented many birds from being tempted to sing high from exposed song-posts.  One notable exception were the Linnets, which on today’s showing seemed to be the most ubiquitous species, as we came across them everywhere throughout the northern section of the site. 

The Kingfisher was in the area of the pumping station, and near here were breeding Tree Sparrows and Swallows collecting mud.  A Lesser Whitethroat was heard singing and was even observed by the afternoon group.  The Sedge warblers were much quieter after lunch, and the Grasshopper and Reed Warblers remained completely silent.

Les spotted a large female Sparrowhawk which gave good views before disappearing towards North Bransholme.  The only other raptor species seen was a Kestrel in the morning & a pair near the parking area during the last part of the lunch hour.

The morning group, especially, were much impressed with the site, and are keen to visit again without a biting north-easterly wind.

Sedge Warbler

ditto 

 Linnet [male]

 Linnet [female] (c) 2012 Tony Robinson

 Whitethroat

 Reed Bunting

 Skylark

 The Duck which Cannot be Named

 Small Tortoiseshell [very worn]

Immature Gull Trying to Devour a Fish